Airtel’s new AI tool helps you detect spam calls and messages

Airtel on Wednesday launched a network-based artificial intelligence (AI) solution that automatically identifies and detects spam calls and messages. The AI-based spam detection tool aims to help users know when a spammer is calling so that they can make an informed decision about whether to pick up the call or reject it. The telecom provider said it has developed the tool in-house. Notably, Airtel Payments Bank recently launched a smartwatch with an embedded RuPay chip that facilitates transactions.

In a press release, the telecom provider has given a detailed description of the new AI-powered spam detection tool. The tool is network-based, which means users don’t have to download an app or subscribe to a service to see the spam calls and SMSes. It will be available to all Airtel users in India and will be automatically activated by default.

Airtel AI spam detection tool
Photo Credit: Airtel

The company claimed that a proprietary algorithm was developed by Airtel’s data scientists, which can identify and classify calls and SMSs that it suspects to be spam. The algorithm analyses numerous parameters before classifying a sender as a spammer. These include the sender’s usage patterns, frequency of sending calls and SMSs, duration of the call and others. These parameters are monitored in real-time, the company claimed.

The final assessment is done by cross-referencing the parameters and running the data with a centralized database. The AI ​​system contains blacklisted URLs and scans each SMS in real-time to understand if a suspicious link has been sent.

Further, Airtel claims that the tool can also detect behavioral anomalies like frequent changes in the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number, which are considered typical of malicious actors.

While there are several apps that users can find on Google Play and App Store that can detect spam, these are third-party tools and usually rely on crowd-sourced information or external methods to identify such callers. Airtel’s tool is a first-party solution that doesn’t require the user to take any action to see this information, and backed by the company’s vast servers and databases, the information passed on is also likely to be accurate.